Gaspar Noe has long been a polarizing force in the world of film. His previous effort, “Irreversible,” has been dividing viewers since its 2002 release due to disturbingly free-flowing camerawork, over-the-top violence and rape and categorization as exploitative. That said, the man certainly has ideas. If these ideas resonate with the viewer, then his films certainly work, despite – or, in the eyes of some, because of – these very attributes. What some view as nauseating and impossible to watch is, according to some, some of the most important filmmaking to occur in the past decade.
Having said that, “Enter the Void” certainly qualifies as an astounding work. Paz de la Huerta and Nathaniel Brown play previously separated siblings Linda and Oscar. They live in a garish, tacky and nightmarish vision of Tokyo. At one point we see a model version of the city, which is described as “Tokyo on acid.” It, of course, looks exactly like the city we see throughout the course of the film. This vision of the city is populated by a cast of strippers, drug users and drug dealers. Everything has already been lost for these characters. Without spoiling the actual events of the film, let it suffice to say that Noe takes us to some incredibly unsettling places in terms of both setting and themes.
Exploring themes of mortality and drug use, this film has been described as a “head trip” of a movie, drawing comparisons to “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Although a fair comparison, the hallucinatory aspects of this film lack the enigmatic quality such sequences contain in Kubrick’s work. What we are seeing, for the most part, are CGI-rendered visions of DMT trips and death. Although these might be overwhelming – in a positive way – for viewers, they occasionally have a somewhat silly quality, due to their over-the-top symbolism.
For that reason, this film probably will not work for some viewers. The viewer exhilaratingly floats over Tokyo for much of the film. Although these sequences are awe-inspiring, they undoubtedly will cause little more than motion sickness for some. The many flashing lights and constant pulsating techno beats that fill out the soundtrack will eventually disturb even the most patient film fan. Indeed, viewers are being warned by participating theaters about the many seizures the film has caused thus far.
Beyond health hazards, much of the film’s philosophy begins to feel a bit trite over the two-hour run time. Much of it is taken from the well-tread ground of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, long a source of interest for filmmakers wanting to make a film about drug use. Once again, the symbolism used throughout the film begins to feel a little silly as it goes on. The performances, although brave, are frequently mediocre at best. All of this, of course, is not to downplay the interest this film will hold for most viewers. “Enter the Void” explores its world more than any other film of its kind,has in as expansive a manner as possible.
Mark Schiffer can be reached at [email protected].
